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I understand everyone is going to tell me I'm crazy to drive from Liverpool to London but train tickets are going to be rather expensive as we did not book them in advance (last minute trip) and I love to drive. We have a gas tank friendly car and I am used to driving on congested northeast U.S. roads. Three and a half hour skiing day trips are a weekly occurrence in my family.

We are planning on leaving Aintree, Liverpool early A.M. on Monday the 30th, I hope to be on the road by 7. Our final destination will be a Mayfair area hotel. I've already checked and the congestion charge is not in effect.

Will an earlier start time work to our advantage?

Is Monday traffic around London particularly bad?

Should I expect it to take 4+ hours?

Other than "Don't drive to London" or "Take the train" does any one have any other sound advice that may be helpful?

Use the Traffic Announcement TA facility on the car radio to warn of accidents etc

If using the M57 to link up with the M56 then M6 then try to get over the Runcorn Bridge before 0700 after that it becomes congested,

Instead consider M57 M62 M6 but again getting away before 0700 pays dividends , but even consider setting off after 0900 to avoid peak times if you don't need to be in London at a certain time. You will, be setting off in the light and traffic will be lighter. Between 0730 and 0900 traffic can be at its heaviest on the M6 M62 and M57 and M56 around Liverpool and North of Birmingham

Yes it will take more than four hours

Which part of London are you heading for?

For North London use M6/M1Approach but for West London the M40 can be a bit quieter.

Don't expect to make 70mph all the way in some places you might find yourself stationary and crawling bumper to bumper.

It seems to me that they have decided that the train is too expensive, and their mind is made up to drive.

They just want to know the best way to go about it

M57 M62 M6 then M42 and M40 or

M57 M62 M6 then M1 would be my suggestions.

If there are two or more in a car with luggage it makes sense to drive IMHO door to door

I have made almost exactly the same journey lots of times, most times I have had an uneventful journey , got held up a bit around Birmingham but thats what you expect and once or twice had horrendous delays, but that's the chance you take travelling by any mode of transport these days,

Its only a couple of hundred miles and the OP is used to driving long distances in heavy traffic.

Further tip

When driving along M62 to link up with M6 you need to move over to the inside, left hand lane in good time.

As you pass Junction 8 with IKEA on your right hand side if you are not already on the left hand side of the motorway start moving over as you pass under the bridge at Junction 9 you should be in the lane second from the left ready to leave the M62 for the M6 South signposted Birmingham.

The motorway can be congested and slow moving here especially the outside lanes heading into Manhester so moving across whilst crawling can be difficult.

"We are planning on leaving Aintree, Liverpool early A.M. on Monday the 30th, I hope to be on the road by 7. Our final destination will be a Mayfair area hotel. I've already checked and the congestion charge is not in effect. "

That might be true about the congestion charge when you arrive in London, but I can't see when you plan to leave London, which might be a day when the charge is in effect.